Buffy the Vampire Slayer || 7x12 || Discussion

Honestly, the Spuffy content is the best part of season 7.

Misfit

I don't hate Kennedy, but when you compare her to Tara... bleh.

Gwenhwyfar Aine

I didn't say I hated her, I said I didn't like her. And why? Cuz to me, she's cocky without the charm or wit to excuse it and boooooring on top of that. If you like her that's cool; we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Ava Sinclair

anyone else not able to watch anything from this season

why would you hate Kennedy at this point ? what has she done ?? hit on Willow ?? no fuck that, I'm calling bs

angelcakes

(Just to be clear, it's completely cool if you don't agree. but...) I'm one of those people who does like Kennedy--her joke about being lost at the feel of wood in her hand reminds me of Tara joking about not being one for the timber with Anya, the fact that she doesn't whine at Buffy as much as the others and instead tries to convince the others that they can do more than their fear would suggest, the way that she immediately welcomes Amanda and asks her what it's like to stake a vamp all on her own so she feels included--all good stuff. I can understand why someone wouldn't care for her, but I like complicated, sometimes unlikable female characters, so I think she's cool. No one can compete with Tara, but Willow shouldn't be miserable forever just because of Warren, and Kennedy makes me think of what Faith would be like if everything had gone right for her--always confident, sometimes cocky, occasionally even a little bratty, but in a way that I find forthright rather than obnoxious. This episode is kind of a lot of filler, but I don't really care, because that moment with Dawnie and Xander at the end is one of my top ten for heartfelt moments in the whole series. That "And I'm the guy who fixes the windows" speech always makes me choke up.

Mitch M

Oh this has been going on for years now, it's honestly ridiculous. If you dislike Kennedy you're supposed to constantly justify that dislike, and even if you do express your personal reasons for not liking Kennedy as a character, you'll still called everything from just being a uber Tara stan who can't let go, to being an outright homophobe and/or racist. It's the same rubbish that happens with season 6 sometimes, where those of us who love the season are apparently required to constantly justify our opinions. It'd be nice to just be able to express opinions for or against certain things, and then have a nice, adult conversation about it, instead of what the fandom has tended to do for the last 20+ years.

Claire Eyles

Here's a thought. Instead of folks making blanket assumptions as to why some of us dislike Kennedy as a character, you simply state the reasons why you do like the character. Seems like a lot less antagonistic to just say, "I like Kennedy as a character, because (insert reasons)" than to keep posting assumptions about why non Kennedy fans don't like her as a character.

Claire Eyles

Wow, is it me or is the comment section starting to get pretty antagonistic? Everybody's entitled to their own opinions. I don't like Kennedy. I love Dawn. Some people like Kennedy and hate Dawn. Although these people are clearly wrong and misguided (j/k, calm down!), it's nothing to get mad about. Aren't Buffy fans supposed to be known for being chill and accepting? Anywaaaays....great reaction as always, Alley. I agree; though I liked the focus on Dawn (because I LOVE her :D ) this episode didn't seem to do much except bring Amanda into the fold. Though I very, very much did love Xander's speech to Dawn. It always makes me a little misty eyed. I also do like Amanda. Plus I really just enjoy the Andrew bits and I never ever thought I'd say that, but Tom Lenks is a comic delight.

Ava Sinclair

this senseless Kennedy hate is BS. Just people who cannot accept that Willow will go on dating after Tara.

Einar Sigurðsson

Wish everyone would knock off the ancient fandom bs about Kennedy. It’s been 20. Twenty. YEARS. Move on. And, no Ally, we have not seen this before.

Rio de Tanana

First time I saw Xander say "I see a lot" my mind immediately went "Watcher". As mysterious and all poweful the Watchers seem to be, they're just ordinary guys, seeing a lot as they stand in the background, like Xander does.

Sudden Real

One point that you made, Alley, was spot-on for me. Any love interest for Willow just doesn't match up, for me, with the relationship she had with Tara.

Ron Fehr

I understand how you felt about this episode, how it was basically more of the same, imparting wisdom to the potentials. The one thing that made this different was that, instead of taking on the vamp herself, Buffy had them learn by doing, although sadly we didn't get to see that. The things she said to them needed to be put into practice. She told them to decide that they weren't going to be the ones to die, and one way to make them decide was to have them fight for their lives.

Ron Fehr

Apart from the last scene, the episode is kind of a neat recap of what Buffy's absorbed from HER training: Giles is out this episode, so we get to see Buffy as "Watcher" formally training the potentials. Dawn and Amanda in the school as well as locking the others in the crypt are similar to the Cruciamentum from Helpless for example, and a lot of what Buffy says and refers to calls back to earlier episodes. It suffers from feeling familiar because it's meant to be reminiscent of the previous seasons as she crash courses everything she learned the hard way.

Cameron Lapp